4 March 2008

Take Back the Bike Culture!

Carrying on the theme from the previous post, wherein I displayed a fragment of displeasure at the folly of modern bike terminology - a travesty has come to my attention. I have now learned that something as simple as a skirtguard or a chainguard is hard to come by in many areas of North America.

Where on earth have they gone? Three or four generations ago they were standard issue on North American bikes. In Denmark and the Netherlands to this day, they are featured on every decent bike bought, like the lovely new bike in the photo above.

I dare say the "sport cycling" and "hobby cycling" industries have done their utmost to discard these very basic elements of a bike over the past half century. Away with these frivilous contraptions! We need to get the weight down! [but we don't know why... just believe us] and besides, lycra won't get caught in a chain! Ha! Fret not, North American owners of stylish skirts and handsome longcoats. Until we raid the bike junkyards of Denmark and gather up a shipload of old chainguards and skirtguards to send across the ocean for free distribution among the cycle chic community, we have found this website for you - Quick & Easy Bicycle Skirt Guards. Or for inspiration, visit this chap, who appreciates that chainguards are to be considered art.

Indeed, a bike without a chainguard is like a Danish sausage without strong mustard. In the name of Odin... trousers were not invented to be rolled up and a pair of Louboutins are certainly not made better with a strip of oil splashed across a toned calf:

You are so right. I live in Portland OR where 75% of the biking community seems to be made up of Lance Armstrong wannabes. I wish I lived in an area where riding a bike was simply seen as a way to move from one location to another and not something that requires a complete image overhaul and lifestyle change.

These commentaries on Cycle Chic have been awesome lately.. keep it up!

I was reading through threads on BikeForums describing how it was nearly impossible to find a Dutch style bike in the US. Even the local LBS (an Electra dealer) doesn't carry the Amsterdam.

So the discussion turned to how to retrofit a 3 speed cruiser- but half of the parts needed don't exist in the US! It's hard to find a chainguard, and impossible to find a skirtguard. Thankfully fenders are still abundant.

Good job on the blog, I enjoy seeing the pictures and reading how "bike culture" in other countries is just the normal culture there.

The claim, at a vintage bicycle discussion site, is that full chaincases were eliminated from imported bikes in 1955 because of changes to the tariffs. I have one of those old bikes, rescued from the trash, and I ride it when I do not "feel the need for speed" (see comments on previous entry). So it's not American go-go-go that led to the lack of chaincases and proper guards, but American protectionist tax code from before quite a few of us were born.

A full chain case also protects the chain from the elements; my commuter-bike has an exposed chain, and the wear just this winter is appalling. In contrast, the bike I rescued seems to have its original, 50-years-old, greasy, enclosed, chain.

After-market and do-it-yourself chain guards and skirt guards are relatively easy to obtain; an add-on chain case looks like a much trickier item.

Portland IS the haven for utility cycling; nowhere else in this country (that I know of) can you find Bakfietsen, longtails, and Dutch city bikes, all in one place. Have a look at clevercycles.com. Electra (who also makes the quite-nice Townie, which includes a chain guard) sells a Dutch-style bicycle they call "Amsterdam".

Portland IS a utility bike haven. So is everywhere else in the world. It just depends on self perception, perception of others and willingness to stand out, willingness to fit in and SELF CONFIDENCE. These factors have everything to do with peoples perception of their local bike culture.

miketually: I'm not sure what utility cycling is.. we have bike messengers but that is a dying breed of an occupation, killed off in part due to the internet.

Portland has all types of cyclists, but if you sit at either end of the Hawthorne bridge (the bridge w/ the most bicycle volume) and watch who crosses, the majority are the Lance lookalikes, followed by the typical messenger sorts riding fixed gear bikes with rolled up pant legs and messenger bags.

There is usually a lot of angst and such between a lot of cyclists here because most people treat it as a racing contest. Slower cyclists usually have to deal with verbal taunts ("GET OUT OF THE WAY!") from the lycra clad cyclists.

Of course, you'll find other Portlanders who will disagree with me, but I think my viewpoint is quite objective. bikeportland.org, our main site for cycling info, really paints Portland cycling with an "us vs them" mentality -- resulting in a good number of cyclists adopting that same mentality and aligning themselves with that really militant bike mentality.

That's why cycle chic is so comforting to me. It's just regular people living their lives.

I hop on my bike and ride to where I'm going. If there is any "bike culture" in Portland it's not really something I care to involve myself with.

INDEED! I must say that in very recent years I've noticed better aftermarket fenders for sale at the local bike shops, but chainguards are a relatively rare commodity. The fenders on my own bike came from the back room of a bike shop that, back in the early 70, was importing Atala 10-speeds which all came with lovely paint-over-chrome steel fenders. They would immediately strip off the fenders in order to sell these "racing bikes" to the masses. I got a couple pair of those discarded fenders way back then and wish I'd taken more!

NO FENDERS?! Who are these barbarians who have removed the soul of the bicycle? Can't you people sue, as is your way, for mental cruelty?

I'll get to work tout suite on a feature film inspired by The Insider... this time we're going after Big Bike instead of Big Tobacco.

dr2chase... you're the King of Links. Interesting theory about the tax on UK bikes.

Also interesting is the take on Portland's bike culture. I must I've bought the hype - i've made the acquaintance of many a fine Portlander here on the site, but not very cool that the militants claim control.

Well you get the idea. With the exception of one very fast road bike that I used to own, all of my bikes have had fenders. Chain guards are another issue. Every front equipped dérailleur bike I have owned does not like chain guards (unfortunately) I actually have one (Staiger Florida) that came with a chain guard but it was eaten by the chain late one night ;-) I continue to accumulate internally geared hub bikes to make my riding less stressful and more fun filled. On my short list left to acquire is one with a full chain case. I can and do make skirt guards for my wife and sister. I have also had spray guards (think skirt guard for the front wheel, rear quadrant) for my bikes that kept water where it belongs, inside the fenders and off of my shoes.

I suspect eventually people will come around to our way of thinking or they may not. But regardless...ride on and enjoy.

I don't mean to highjack this thread, but a co-worker put a news clipping in my box today from an issue of the Christian Science Monitor from a few weeks ago. I thought with the comments about Portland, people might find it interesting. Some website called Virgin Vacations ranked world cities on how "bicycle friendly" they are. They ranked them on the same five E's that the American League of Bicyclists use: engineering, education, encouragement, evaluation, and enforcement. Amsterdam came in first, followed by Portland, Oregon. I am afraid they ranked Copenhagen third!

That Portland blog took only a visit or three to utterly turn me off because I too perceived the us-VS-them militancy theme.

I'm a retired gent in the upper midwest US and currently own several bikes, every one of them with mudguards, each with upright bars, and all but 2 use old Sturmey Archer rear hubs and chainguards. The youngest of the herd is now 28-years old.

My daily riding is of course recreational and all urban, but with very little of that on streets having to share space with cars. Accordingly, my greatest danger comes not from motorists but from the spandex/lycra/dressed-like-circus-clown crowd who all ride like they're on a mission and carrying an attitude. Cyclists of that group seem unable to accept that the parkway paved paths are MULTI-USE paths and they ride fast in groups bullying their way through and around all manner of pedestrians; elderly walkers, joggers with baby strollers, dog-walkers, skaters, and other more casual cyclists.

After rapid industrialization of Korea, Korean replace bicycle with car as transportation. Lately, because of high standard of living, Korean find bicycle as leisure-sports ways. Most of them buy American style MTB, with no guards. In Korea, Bicycle commuters are increasing recently. So, your messege "Take Back the Bike Culture" is much meaningful to Korean cyclists.ps. Thank you for your blog link to mine!

I ride a '61 Raleigh ladies 3-speed, and I wear my normal clothes on it, with modifications for weather etc.: it does rain a bit here, and I don't have a completely enclosed chain. I bike in jeans and skirts and normal shoes, plus gloves and/or a hat, possibly a rain jacket (I need some rain pants).

I do need to make a skirtguard. I've seen that website before--one of the owners of Clever Cycles told me about it after I came in, frustrated at the dress I was wearing catching in my spokes and brakes, and asking if they could put a skirtguard on my old bike!

I think people in the lycra getup are missing out. My bike is a part of my normal day-to-day life: get to work, get to school, get to the grocery store, get to a friend's house, get home. I may be slow on my older heavy bike, but I get to my destination and enjoy the trip.

I do read bikeportland.org and most of the "militancy" is in the comments. But lots of people are assholes on the internet, so what?

I also do participate in the local "bike culture," there's a really fun group called Shift that does lots and lots of fun bike stuff locally--and every ride I've participated in, the people were friendly and fun and non-snobby about bikes. I've gone biking to nightclubs to dance, I've gone Christmas caroling by bike, I've biked to movies shown at a secret location, and of course I've biked naked!!

Up until recently I'd never seen a chain case on new bike in a store in my whole life. The one model it is on in my LBS is a tank made of heavy thick steel and costs twice that of any bike with its internal hub and components on a normal aluminum frame and no chain case costs (yes there are several of these at the LBS too).I've never had a bike that came with fenders, I always had to buy them as add-ons. It is sad.

I also read that back in the day that Raleigh removed the chain cases on their bikes and replaced them with lighter partial chain guards to get them under a certain weight limit so to avoid an extra import tax.

I recently gave up the lycra and spandex for my commute (still use it on weekend fun rides) and quickly realized that by taking it slower and not sweating I eliminated the need to bring a change of cloths. With out the need to change or pack the extra cloths I actually reduced my commute time.

Unfortunately living in the barbarous auto dominated US, I've had a noticeable increase in incidents on the road with my slower speeds. Not a day goes by where I don't deal with a homicidal driver who doesn't give a damn about my life and I only have a 2.5 mile one-way commute!

While I love the civility of this blog and the wonderful bike culture it illustrates, I don't blame the Bike Portland Blog for having an "us versus them" attitude (mostly from the readers however).

Great comments as always Zak. You've really helped me formulate my bicycle philosophy which I hope to use as a planner and advocate once I'm done with grad school.

Raleigh's trademark is their white back fender and you can spot them a mile away over here.

Useless trivia: a skirtguard is called a "frakkeskaaner" in Danish - meaning "coat protector".

Great to read all the comments, especially all the way from Korea. Thanks again, everyone.

Regading one of the comments near the top, there are bike shops catering to what you people call Dutch bikes. Clevercycles was mentioned, in Portland. Vancouver, BC has Jorg&Olif, of course... the latter being one of the brands closest to my heart since they speak the same cyclo-philosophy. There is also The Dutch Bicycle Company in the States.

Zak,It used to be ALL bikes built and ridden in England had the white lower on the rear fender. Hercules, Triumph, Humber, Royal Enfield and many, many others that are now gone. It was a safety feature to increase visibility of the cyclist. IIRC it was required from around 1938 or so up until the late 1950's, abandoned for a while then reintroduced a couple of years later. (Can't find the link to the info)

Ok, so I've been reading this blog for a long time--usually posting anonymously, but I'll come out of the closet.

I'm a midwesterner, and with inspiration from this blog, several months ago I started riding an old raleigh (a gift from a friend who didn't use it). I took it to the bike shop and asked to have a chain guard put on it (it has fenders), and the bike shop told me that they couldn't get one--their supplier didn't carry them. They suggested I look on the internet. My bike has a small "chain guard." So, unless I wear the fashionable flared or bootcut pants, my pants don't get caught on the chain. But since i like to be fashionable...

That's great, Christie. You walked 'out of the closet' into the warm embrace of cycle chicsters from around the world!

Strange that bike shops 'can't get chainguards'. Most chainguards here are just cheap plastic ones, which are perfectly functional. And cheap. Although i don't know how much they cost since they come, as mentioned, attached to the bike.

There is probably an entire Chinese factory dedicated to the production of chainguards and fenders. I bet.

Hello,I ran across this site a while back. A friend just steered me to it again.I love the high-heeled intro pic. It evokes hope that cycling in the USA can be so much more.

I’ve been in the bike biz for almost 40 years now, and it’s great to see some big dreams finally being realized. Bikes have come a long way in the USA since I was a kid, from the bikes-as-sidewalk-toy nadir of the 1950s/60s, to the speedy, naked (and painful for most) “10-speed” road racer of the 1970s, to the comfy, forgiving (but naked) mountain bike of the 1980s/90s.

The speed of road bikes and the ruggedness of mountain bikes gave cycling a much greater respectability. And now, many Americans are discovering that bikes can serve a much greater purpose. Never before have so many vectors pointed to bicycling as a solution for so much that ills us.

I believe bicycling in the US will become 10 times bigger not too far down the road, and most of that growth will be from people enjoying everyday bicycling on well-equipped bikes.

One of the tricks is to get everyday-ready bikes onto the dealer’s floor. Buying a useful bike has got to be made as easy as buying a car. When you buy a car, they come with lights, fenders and ways to carry things. So be sure to get down to your Local Bike Shop and ask for your dreams—tell them what you NEED today, so you’ll have a prayer of getting it tomorrow.

People drive the big bike movements, not bike companies.

And Zak: China doesn’t have one factory devoted to making fenders, it has MANY. :-) Many countries do. For a company in the USA selling such product, see Planet Bike. Much more is on the way…

I actually went in to a store here in Vancouver that sells Dutch bikes asking for a chain guard, and they tried to talk me out of it. First they didn't know what I was talking about so I had to show them on one of their dutch bikes what I meant by a chain guard. Then the guy tried to convince me that there were better alternatives, like tying up my pant legs. You would the shop selling dutch bikes would 'get it'.

Well I have yet to see any chain guards in bike shops here. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that everybody is either riding a bike with a front derailleur, or they are part of the minimalist fixed-gear craze, in which case using a chain guard would wreck their style.

Personally I've had to adapt a new style of riding to avoid getting my pants caught on the teeth of my chain ring: I ride with really wide platform pedals and keep my right foot hanging halfway off the right pedal. Not exactly ergonomic but it's nice not to have to tie up my pants, cause whenever I do that I usually get halfway through the day before somebody at the office points out "hey, what's that reflective strap on your leg for?". Not exactly what you would call "cycle chic".

Joe Breeze: thanks for that comment. Very interesting. I agree that bikes have come a long way since you were a kid - technology has improved [you know better than me...:-)], but bikes haven't really come a long way considering how many people used to ride in America back in the day. Since then sports cycling has boomed but everyday cycling has died... almost. We're still giving it heart massage.

Great to hear your optimism for growth in bike culture on your side of the pond and your contribution to it.

Perhaps we'll be able to read something like on your website in the future:

"In Joe's words: "When I built my first chainguard and skirtguard back in 2008, I had no idea how popular chainguards and skirtguards would become, but one thing was clear: People who gave the chainguards and skirtguards a try invariably returned with big smiles on their faces.

Another Portlander here. I'm starting to see more city bikes around town, often ridden by hipsters. I think JOrg & Olif are onto something marketing them as a lifestyle accessory more than recreational/ racing equipment. After visiting Holland last summer and riding a Dutch bike in Utrecht, I realized that this kind of biking really suits my needs more than hybrids or racers. Now I just have to see how well a city bike works with Portland's moderate hills and my bum knees. I'm considering getting a J&O, a real Dutch city bike from the wonderful Clever Cycles here, or Joe Breeze's Villager. It's inspiring to see a bike legend like Joe working to change the world by bringing bikes beyond the hardcore types to regular folks like we see in these CopenChic photos every day. Thanks to this website for the inpsirational daily reminder of what a true bike culture looks like.

No doubt, we live in a bubble here in Marin (just north of San Francisco), but last night while I was breezin’ to a meeting a few towns south, I passed a near-continual stream of bicyclists heading home from work. Not sure how many bikes were fender/chainguard shod, but most all were sporting lights.

The foundation has been laid and it’s starting to happen, right here in the USA. Better get out there with our cameras right now and document our bike-less streets. Might be history tomorrow: ”Do you remember when…” :-)

And, you scrutinizer of quotes, you can read it TODAY. Our “Raves” page is filled with quotes from people “with big smiles on their faces” lovin’ fully equipped Breezers.

I think the biggest obstacle that is blocking more widespread bike commuting is the social stigma- people who are living the "American Dream" are making more money, and people who have to ride a bicycle are viewed (to varying degrees in parts of the country) as needing to do so because of a lack of money for a car (or just because they’re eccentric). The socioeconomic class that is eligible for promotions at work and not eligible for random police searches does *not* ride bicycles to work. Nothing will really change until they do.

I like a lot of gears (it's really hilly here- I need a big big ring and a small granny, and use them both), so a chainguard really isn’t an option. What has worked very well for me, however, is a standard Shimano triple crankset with a built in chainring guard- e.g.:

I just today saw that Gary Fischer is introducing a line of very practical, traditional, European influenced town bikes complete with factory fenders and chainguards!

There's hope for us Americans yet! Until then I'll just stick with my 1970's Ross Eurotour with its 3-speed Shimano Hub, fenders, chaingaurd and upright saddle position to get me around town. Somehow we used to know how to build them 30 years ago.

My ride is a Breezer Citizen. It is the sweetest bike I've ever had. Since I bought this bike and set my old mountain bike aside (after I had spent a ton getting fenders, lights, and being told "we can't put a chain guard on that bike") I have received tons of comments and compliments from fellow bicycle commuters. It's a process, but even in my mountain-bike-extreme-sport- oriented town, it seems people are responding to the increase in "ready to go" commuter bicycles. It also makes me optimistic seeing how many folks from the US have fallen in love with this blog. I think it shows a real hunger here in the States and that in the next decade this hunger is going to drive a real transformation in our bicycle culture.

It isn't exactly the chain guard we see on the beautiful bikes of Copenhagen Cycle Chic, but you can get a bash guard. They're intended for mountain bikes, but I really don't see why you couldn't use them on any bike. That may help with the trouser issue.

As far as the sport vs. commuter cyclist tiff goes, remember, all groups have people who are self-serving and have no regard for others. You're more likely to notice it from someone who is different than you.

I started riding two years ago. I mountain bike. I recently decided to start commuting by bike. I don't look at it as an "us vs. them" issue. No. I am a cyclist, plain and simple. Sometimes I wear spandex, sometimes I don't. I'm currently looking for a bike that I can ride with "normal" clothes.

I would absolutely love to get my hands on one of those Velorbis Victoria Classics!

I just came across this site and I love it. I have been riding a beach cruiser as an everyday bike, sometimes up to 40 miles a day. I recently bought an Electra Amsterdam because I wanted gears and hand breaks (a few close calls on our busy california streets). I don't get comments from the lycra-clad cyclists, I get comments from people on real Dutch brand bikes calling me a "wannabee" and telling me that after my thrill of the first few rides wears off, I will put the bike in the garage and start driving again. It's really sad. At a couple hundred miles a week, I probably ride more than they do. If they say these things to everyone on these "wannabee" bikes it will just set back what little progress we've made to getting people to use bikes as daily transport in our fat country.

Can anyone point me in a direction to get a chaincase custom made, short of attending the next NAHBBS? I want one made extra long for my Surly Big Dummy cargo bike, which will be running a Rohloff rear hub next spring (so it will have essentially a fixed chainline)?

What I have in mind is a three piece design, made with two diameters of pipe. Front section would be a wrap around pipe with a slot for the chainring to pass through made from the larger diametr pipe, then two smaller diameter pipe sections "tromboning" into the front section and running back toward the rear hub. I expect these will simply end just before the rear cog so there will be a section of chain exposed at the back. It will be way back there though :-)

Its so strange to see the word fenders used, here in Irl we use the term mudguards, it rains a lot guess why. Anyway I was in a new bike shop talking to a sales guy who knew his bikes, lightweight this and that. I asked him why he had no bikes for sale with mudguards or carriers etc. Eventually I used their internet link to show them this site and a few others and told him I want to buy a granny bike. He really had no idea that bikes like this still existed. I just think too many people in the industry here in Irl dont use bikes anymore, its become a hobby thing. In dispair I imported a Batavus and it is wonderful. I give a crossbar to school to my little girl, do shopping etc everyday things and my neighbours think I,m a nut.I really cant understand why so many want to jump into the 4x4 to drive 800mts park and walk back 300mts to the school. And i'm the nut.

I had to re-visit this thread because it amazes me how much has changed in just 3 short years. The popularity of cycle chic and upright bikes has really taken off here in Ottawa, Canada and it pleases me to see so many European bikes around. They may not be easy to get but cyclists are finding ways to get them.